Wake up US Music Industry; UK Way Ahead of Game on Artist Unity

The Future of Music Coalition is well underway in Washington, D.C. and the hot topic seems to be artists organizing to fight for equal pay and artistic control. While these are certainly important issues, it’s a bit infuriating that in a country as expansive as the United States, all of the successful artists that come from/reside in the US are clueless about the impact that like minded artists in the UK have had.
I’ve written quite frequently about the Featured Artists Coaltion and all that they do for artists. I’ve also mentioned, almost ad nauseum, my absolute admiration for the UK chapter of the Music Managers Forum and Chairman Brian Message, as well as CEO Jon Webster.
Why the adulation? Because the ‘hot button‘ issues that are currently being discussed in D.C. have been at the forefront of the MMF and FAC for years. Yes, years. While many countries have an MMF chapter, the UK’s in by far the most active. The US does in fact have an MMF chapter but it’s almost laughable. They update their web page monthly, if that, and have no social media presence. This is the 20 year anniversary of the US chapter, yet they have no upcoming events, and many managers in the US have never heard of the MMF.
Meanwhile in the UK, the MMF is regularly offers educational seminars, guest speakers, and various social events to promote engagement among its over 400 members. Most events welcome non-members for the full fee, rather than the member’s discounted price.
The FAC counts the most powerful, successful, and influential artists in the UK (and music history) among their members. Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), Annie Lennox, Fran Healy (Travis), Billy Bragg, Kate Nash, Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Master Shortie, Dave Rowntree (Blur), Sandie Shaw, Rumer, Crispin Hunt, Eliza Doolittle, and many, many more are members of the Featured Artists Coalition. These artists don’t just add their names and faces to the FAC; they actively fight for artist’s rights and address issues of relevance. Like the MMF, they have frequent events and educational opportunities for members. Oh yes, and membership is free. FREE!

The MMF and FAC work together constantly and this integration has created the unity and productivity that only the most efficient organiztations are afforded.
The Featured Artists Coalition was founded in 2009 as a reaction to the memorandum of understanding signed by UK record labels and ISPs. The agreement was reached by the six largest internet providers and the UK’s record label association, the BPI, and stated that account holders who were guilty of illegally downloading copyrighted material would begin to receive warning letters for file sharing. All of this took place with no consultation with those in the music community.
The MMF, on the other hand, was founded in 1992 and has become even more active in recent years. Under the leadership of Messrs. Message and Webster, the MMF has become increasingly vocal about copyright, streaming, the importance of fan engagement, and all manner of issues impacting artists in the current and ever changing music industry.

While it’s wonderful that the US industry is FINALLY realizing that unification will go considerably farther than individual artists sending intermittent tweets about issues,
it remains to be seen how serious anyone actually is about following through on properly organizing a worthwhile fight.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment and proclaim you’re going to help incite change, it’s quite another to actually take action. Now’s your chance, US artists and managers. The UK has set a high bar; now it’s up the those in the US industry to follow their lead.